I love ordering chile rellenos at my local Mexican restaurant – these battered and fried stuffed peppers are just SO delicious. Chile relleno casserole has all of the same flavors but with way less work. Serve your casserole with other Mexican food recipes like black beans and rice, avocado corn salad or Mexican coleslaw for a memorable meal. Every time I go out for Mexican food, I order a combo plate with a chile relleno on it. Those battered stuffed peppers are one of my favorite foods of all time! This chile relleno casserole has many of the same flavors, but in a convenient baked form to feed a crowd, without any deep frying involved.
Chile Relleno Casserole Ingredients
To make this recipe, you will need whole green chiles, Monterey jack cheese, large eggs, milk, flour, baking powder, cheddar cheese, cilantro and toppings of your choice.
How Do You Make Chile Relleno Casserole?
Preheat the oven, then coat a baking dish with cooking spray. Stuff each one of the chiles with a stick of Monterey jack cheese. Place the chiles in a single layer in the prepared casserole dish. Pour the eggs, milk, flour and baking powder into a blender, then blend until smooth. Pour the egg mixture over the chiles in the pan, then add the shredded cheddar cheese on top. Bake until the casserole is golden brown and puffy. Add a sprinkle of fresh cilantro, then serve with any toppings you like.
Tips For The Perfect Dish
I use a blender to make the batter because it’s tricky to get everything to blend together uniformly with a whisk in a bowl. If you don’t have a blender, a food processor will also work. It’s best to use freshly shredded cheddar cheese in this casserole. The bags of pre-shredded cheese from the store often contain preservatives and anti caking agents and do not melt well. Leftover chile relleno casserole will stay fresh in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Canned green chilis typically come with most of the seeds removed. It’s always best to take a quick peek in the chile before you stuff it to remove any stray seeds that might be left behind. I find this recipe doesn’t need any added salt, as there is already salt in the cheese and peppers.
Flavor Variations
This recipe is delicious as-is, but you can customize the flavors to your tastes.
Peppers: You can roast and peel poblano peppers and use them instead of the canned green chiles. Cheese: Feel free to swap out the cheddar and Monterey jack for other options such as mozzarella, pepper jack cheese, oaxaca cheese, provolone or queso asadero. Seasonings: You can add some spices to the egg batter such as taco seasoning, cumin, chili powder, garlic powder or onion powder. Toppings: Top your casserole with pico de gallo, a drizzle of enchilada sauce, sour cream, olives, avocado or salsa verde.
I always keep cans of green chiles in my pantry so that I can make this recipe whenever the craving strikes. With all the eggs in the batter, this dish even makes a great brunch option! No need to get out the deep fryer for great chile rellenos, this easy casserole is all you need to get those same restaurant style flavors.
